Popularly known as 'the city beautiful', Chandigarh roads on Monday became a death trap after vehicles began floating down the flood-water rivers at great speed.

The worst hit was Mohali which remained water logged for more than six hours.

People took to the social media to post horrific pictures and videos of flooded roads and floating cars. Some of the areas including Mataur road are still submerged under three to four feet of water.

Flooded: Aerial View of Punjab and Harayana High Court Building in Chandigarh

Dozens of vehicles were deserted by their owners after car engines stopped working.

'I was stuck in the flood water for more than four hours. It was horrific, we have never seen such a flood in this area. It scared us .'

'The claims made by the local municipal authorities proved false as the sever lines were choked and the rain water spilled on roads,' Paramjit Singh, a Mohali resident, said.

Chandigarh, a Utopia?

Chandigarh was developed after Independence as the capital of both neighboring states of Haryana and Punjab.

Like Milton Keynes it was one of the early planned cities and is known around the world for its architecture and urban design.

The master plan of the city was prepared by the world famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.

The name Chandigarh is a portmanteau of Chandi and Garh. Chandi refers to Hindu goddess Chandi, the warrior Avatar of Goddess Parvati, and Garh means home.

The name is derived from Chandi Mandir, an ancient temple devoted to the Hindu Goddess Chandi, near the city in Panchkula District.

The motif or sobriquet of 'The City Beautiful' was derived from the City Beautiful movement that was a popular philosophy in North American urban planning during the 1890s and 1900s.

Architect Albert Mayer, the initial planner of Chandigarh, lamented the American rejection of City Beautiful concepts and declared 'We want to create a beautiful city...'The phrase was used on as a logo in official publications in the 1970s, and is now how the city describes itself.

However for Meteorologists the rainfall on Monday was relatively normal for this time of the year.

The rain started at 6.30 a.m. with drizzling and started heavily around 7.30 a.m. total 112 MM rainfall was recorded by the observatory of Chandigarh Meteorology Department.

These are the second highest levels of rainfall seen in the city and adjoining towns over the last 13 years. The city recorded the highest ever rainfall of 241.6 MM in 2004.

Scientists in Chandigarh said it was orographic rain which occurs when the moist air moves over a mountain range.

As the air rises and cools, orographic clouds form and produce rain.

'The southern sectors of Chandigarh and Mohali received good amount of rainfall which resulted in a kind of flood. Roads in Mohali were flooded as the Chandigarh water moved towards Mohali.'

'The areas in and around Chandigarh will continue to receive rainfall during the nest 24 hours.

'This spell of rainfall has also reduced the temperature by five degrees,' A K Dogra, Meterologist, Chandigarh Met Department said. Roads were also flooded in adjoining Zirakpur and Panchkula.

Flooded roads also resulted in traffic jams which continued for four to five hours.

Chandigarh traffic police switched off the traffic lights and the police officials guided the traffic manually. The worst hit were the two wheeler commuters who were seen struggling, pulling their vehicles through knee-deep water.

Besides Mohali, Panchkula and Zirakpur, Chandigarh roads leading to various sectors including sector 20, 18 and 17, Naya Gaon were also submerged under water as the drains clogged.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures stayed close to the normal levels in several parts of Punjab and Haryana even as Chandigarh witnessed heavy rains.

Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius.

This is the second highest rainfall received in the city over the last 13 years

Wet feet? Man cycles to work in Mohali

Kaziranga caught in worst flood since 1988

By Maneesh Pandey

Assam's mighty Brahmaputra seems to have cursed Kaziranga sanctuary in its worst form, virtually converting itself into a river of dead animals last week.

Nearly 225 animals were reported killed due to the destructive speed and intensity at which flood waters rushed through the national park - a natural world heritage site famous for its one-horned rhino.

The latest flooding, which hit Kaziranga on August 13 (second in a month) killed 15 rhinos, a Royal Bengal Tiger, four elephant claves and 194 deer.

The park had witnessed floods just three weeks ago in July that had left nearly 105 animals dead, including seven rhino calves.

Wildlife officials engaged in combing and rescue operation of animals compare the latest floods as 'next to the 1988 floods', which reported nearly 1,200 animal deaths.

Officials say the 'intensity and frequency of flooding in Kaziranga is a matter of concern' and it immediately requires dozens of highlands for animals to find safe refuge from the rising flood levels.

Says Kaziranga Park director Satendra Singh: 'In terms of death toll of animals, floods hitting Kaziranga in 2012 and 2016 may have more deaths than the August floods, but the speed and levels the latter reached - almost 8-9 feet in just 24 hours - was not witnessed in those years.

'The current levels of flood water and the speed at which it rushed through the park was next to 1988, which claimed 1,200 animals.'

Added Ashish Phookan, owner of Diphlu River Lodge: 'Luckily, this is off-season for tourism, but as flood waters started rising in the park area this week, we saw some elephants, wild boars, deers and wild buffaloes coming to our resort, which is slightly higher than normal Kaziranga levels.

'Later, as water kept rising, the animals left for higher and safer spots in the hills towards the south after crossing NH-37.'

Singh says the toll could go high as combing and rescue is still on. 'The total death toll could be more by another 15 to 20 as combing and rescue operations are yet to be completed.

We have covered most of the park area, but some portions are still left because of inaccessible terrains. We have also managed to rescue about 50 animals, including six rhino calves. All of them have been sent for treatment,' he told Mail Today.

Even as flood waters have shown signs of receding, worries for wildlife officials are far from over.

'We are concerned about many animals, which have strayed outside the park corridors and deep into villages among human settlements.

'Some have strayed up to 10 km from their usual habitats and this makes them vulnerable to poaching and in worst case, killing by villagers. We have intensified patrolling for such animals,' said a wildlife official.

Citing the worst signs of climate change effects, Kaziranga officials fear the intensity and frequency of flooding threatening the sanctuary's existence will only increase in future, and therefore about 40 more highlands need to be developed immediately for the safety of animals.

'More land along the corridors of Kaziranga national park need to be cleared of human settlements to develop as safe spots for animals during natural calamities and disasters,' a senior wildlife official said.